Credit to MSMEs rises post-pandemic

Philippine banks' loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) rose more than seven percent in the third quarter, surpassing the half-trillion peso mark as business activity picked up ahead of the holiday season.

- BY DERCO ROSAL

Total MSME loans reached P540.9 billion as of the third quarter, an increase from the P504.8 billion recorded in the same period last year, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The latest figure, however, only accounted for 4.5 percent of the country's entire banking industry's P12.05 trillion lending portfolio, significantly falling short of the BSP-prescribed 10 percent ratio.

Banks are mandated to allocate eight percent of their loan portfolio to MSEs and two percent to medium-sized enterprises.